Wrapping machine



April 4, 1961 c. F. HYRNE WRAPPING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug.24, 1959 FiG.3.

4 E H H MN M T. e NR .0. H Y r m .4 NM n s) F. 3 Wm N E m LY B w @Lfm 0(Z Aprll 4, 1961 c. F. HYRNE 2,977,735

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.CLARENCE F. HYRNE .4 TTORNEY llllllltuznm United This invention relatesto wrapping machines broadly and particularly of a type wherein articlesare initially encased in a covering material, such for instance asrelatively thin plastics.

The invention contemplates an elevated fiat work surface, mounting andshifting means for a roll of thin plastics that is to be extended over apredetermined area of the work surface and upon which a garment or otherarticle is disposed to be subsequently covered by the sheet of plasticsupon a return movement when the shifting means is reversed and to encasethe article in substantially a tubular covering.

The invention contemplates shiftable members disposed upon the worksurface to initially hold the leading edge of the covering and wherebythe shifting device may area.

The invention also contemplates means, at the extent' of the shiftingmovement of the roll whereby to hold the covering against shifting whenthe shifting device is reversed to its initial position. 7

The invention also contemplates control mechanism for the holding meansthat is actuated upon the return movement of the shifting device wherebythe covering is disposed in overlying relation to the leading end thathas been initially held against movement and means operable tosimultaneously sever the overlying sheet and to seal the sheet along onemarginal edge adjacent to its point of severance.

The invention also contemplates novel forms of clip devices that gripthe initial leading edge of the roll of material and that are actuatedto a release position when the roll is returned by the shiftingmechanism to then be shifted into clipping engagement with both theleading edge of the overlying area of the material and sealing meansadapted to seal the severed edges of the material simultaneous with thesevering action.

The invention contemplates the forming of a tubular package into whichhas been placed an article to be covered and with the package to besubsequently sealed by separate means along its end portions to fullyencase the article.

' The invention also contemplates novel means for actuating the clipdevices 'to and from their clipping engagement with the covering.

In the drawings, wherein has been illustrated broadly means to encasearticles, such as garments and wherein like characters of reference areemployed to denote like parts throughout the several figures,

Figure 1 is aplan view of a device constructed in accordance with theinvention,

Figure2 is a view similar to Figure l, but with a carriage device and asupported roll of plastics film is shifted to extend the. film over theworking surface,

Figure 3 is a view illustrating the device with the carriage beingreturned to its initial position, b

Figure 4' is a fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 rPatent ually disposed rod 37, that is extended across the'table'Patented Apr. 2, 1961 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the formedenvelope,

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 66 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on line 7-7 of Figure 6, partsbeing omitted and illustrating clip devices for holding theenvelope'forming film during the severing and sealing action and,

Figure 8 is a section taken on line 88 of Figure 7.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a Worktable having a fiat surface. The Work table may be formed of anydesirable material and is generally rectangular in form and supported bysuitable legs, not shown. Overlying the table 5, is a carriage device,indicated by the numeral 6. The carriage device embodies a forwardforked end 7 and a rearwardly extending arm 8. The fork 7 at its forwardends are provided with journals for the rotatable support of a shaft 9,carrying a roll of relatively thin plastics material 10. The roll 10normally lies upon the surface of the table 5 for rolling engagementtherewith. The arm 8 and the carriage 6 is reciprocated by any desirablemechanism, not shown.

Iournaled upon the underside of the table 5", as shown in Figure 7 is aflat crank 11, carried upon a vertically disposed shaft 12 that isjournaled in a suitable bearing carried by a bracket 13 that is fixed tothe underside of the table substantially intermediate its width. Thecrank 11 is oscillatory in a horizontal plane. The means for oscillatingthe crank 11, comprises a roller 13' that is rotatably supported at 14upon one end portion of the crank 11. The roller is engaged by a camflange 15, carried by an intermittently operated cam wheel 16,controllable by the operator of the device in any desirable manner.Pivotally connected at 17 to the opposite ends of the crank 11 are links18. The links 18 are forked at their opposite ends to have pivotalconnection with offset flanges 19, carried by clips 20 that are disposedupon and overlie the surface of the table. The clips 20 have dependingarms 21, that extend downwardly through slots 22 formedin the table. Thearms 21 are pivotally connected at 23, to fixed brackets 24, carriedupon the underside of the table. The clips 20'are offset with respect tothe crank 11 and the links 18 in a manner whereby the clips 20 will bedisposed in transverse alignment with respect to the table. Each of theclips 20 are provided with resilient pads 25. The crank 11 is biased ina direction to actuate the clips in a direction toward the table, by aspring 26. The spring 26 is connected at one end to a bracket 27,carried at one end of the crank 11 and its opposite end is connected at28 to a fixed bracket 29 carried by the table. I

The table 5, forwardly of the clips 20 and closely adjacent thereto isrecessed transversely at 29, to receive the metallic plate 30, thatextends for the major width of the table. The plate 30 is provided witha longitudinal slot 31 having its edges sharpened for cooperativecutting engagement with a knife 32. The knife 32 is connected uponaheater bar 33, that is operative in a vertical direction uponupstanding rods 34. The knife 32 and the heater element 33 are actuatedin any desirable manner to be shiftable downwardly for a simultaneouscutting and sealing engagement with the package that has been formedwhen the carriage 6 and the roll 10 have been returned to their initialposition.

Since the package to be formed is tubular, it follows that means'must beprovided at the end of the extending movement of the carriage 6 to holdthe sheet of film against dragging forwardly when the carriage is returned. For this purpose, there has been provided upon opposite sides ofthe table 5, a pair of brackets 35, notched upon their rear edges, as at36. The brackets 35 are adapted to be simultaneously engaged by a mantorest in the notches 36 to hold the film against a reverse movement.After the carriage 6 has been returned to its initial position, formingthe package illustrated in Figure 5 and with the garment or otherarticle disposed therein and, upon the completion of the reversemovement of the carriage 6 and the roll 10, the rod 37 is manuallyremoved.

The mechanism disclosed is believed to be basic in the forming of aplastics envelope and any suitable mechanism is employed to oscillatethe carriage 6 and to also actaute the clips 20 and the knife 32 andsealing element 33, such mechanisms being well within the knowledge ofthe mechanic.

In the use of the device, a roll of thin plastics material is journaledin the ends of the fork 7. The loading end of the film is then engagedbeneath the clips 20, where it will be held against shifting. Thepads'25 only engage the marginal edges of the film. Now, when themachine is placed in operation, it performs an initial cycle, causingthe carriage 6 to shift rearwardly upon the table, carrying with it theroll of film 10 and, since the film is held by the clips 20, a sheet ofthe film will be disposed upon the surface of the table and, upon acomplete rearward movement of the carriage 6, the roll will be disposedslightly rearwardly of the brackets 35 at which time, the rod 37 isextended across the table to engage within the notches 36. At therearmost movement of the carriage 6, it is stopped in its motion,permitting the insertion of the rod 37 and to also permit the operatorto dispose a garment or other article upon the surface of the film thatis overlying the table. Mechanism is then actuated to cause a reversemovement of the carriage 6, and, since the sheet of film will be heldagainst reverse movement by the rod 37, a second layer of film will thenbe extended over the article, completely covering the article and, whenthe roll 10 approaches its initial starting position, mechanism isactuated to cause the cam wheel 16 to make one complete revolution,actuating the clips 20 to a release position and, when the roll isdisposed in its initial position, the clips will swing downwardly toclamp the two sheets together at which time, the cycle is completed by amovement of the knife 32 and heater element 33 downwardly to engage theplate 30, simultaneously severing the two sheets and sealing themarginal edges of those portions of the sheets that overlie the plate30. When this has been accomplished, the package with the articletherein is removed from the table manually by first withdrawing the rod37, substantially forming an envelope that is open at its opposite endsand sealed along its marginal edges. The envelope and its encasedarticle is then sealed at its ends in any desirable manner upon thesevering of the underlying and overlying sheets by the knife 32, one endof the film from the roller 10 will at all times be maintained inclipped engagement with respect to the table by the clips 25.

While the device has been illustrated in a manner that requires themanual removal of the formed package from the machine after sealing andcutting, it is also contemplated that the table may be provided with anendless conveyor belt that traverses its surface longitudinally and thatis operated in a predetermined cycle to shift the formed package awayfrom the area of forming. Also, while the rod 37 has been described asbeing manually engaged with the brackets 35, it is also contemplatedthat automatic means may be employed to pregressively drop a rod intoposition when the carriage and the roll have been shifted in its initialmovement to extend the film over the table for the reception of thearticle to be encased. It is believed however that mechanical mechanismcapable of performing these acts in timed sequence is well within theexpected skill of the mechanic and possibly may be presented in aseparate application for patent.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel form ofpackaging device has been provided, the-means are simple and providenovel clipping devices that are simultaneously actuated to and from aclipping engagement with the film both at the beginning of the carriagemovement and upon the return of the carriage, thus always maintainingthe free end of the film in clipped engagement for subsequentoperations. The device extends the film over the table, as inactivatedto permit the insertion of the rod 37 and to permit the depositing of agarment or other article upon the extended film after which, thecarriage is returned to completely overlie and encase the article to besubsequently severed and sealed.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fallwithin the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scopeof the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A packaging device of the character described that is adapted to forma tubular envelope from a continuous section of thermoplastic materialfor receiving articles to be encased, the device comprising arectangular work table having a flat surface, a carriage device that isadapted to be moved longitudinally of the table a predetermined distancein accordance with the dimensions of the envelope to be formed and in apredetermined timed cycle, the carriage at one end rotatably supportinga roll of thermoplastic material that rests upon the surface of thetable to be rolled thereover under the influence of the carriage, thecarriage when moved in one direction extending a sheet of thermoplasticmaterial over the table to receive the article to be packaged, movableclip devices that are disposed adjacent each side of the table forclipping engagement with the opposite marginal edges of a free end ofthe thermoplastic material whereby to hold the material at the end whenthe roll is moved along the table, a rod that is deposited across thetable to overlie the extended sheet and to be disposed in front of theroll of material whereby to hold the material against shifting in anopposite direction when the carriage and the roll are returned to theinitial starting position, the carriage in its return movement shiftingthe roll of material in a reverse direction to override the articledeposited upon the sheet, the said clip devices being actuated out ofthe line of movement of the returning roller so that the overlying sheetover' lies the initial free end of the material, the said clip devicesbeing actuated to clip the two sheets together against movement, acutting device and a heat sealing device that is disposed forwardly ofthe clip devices and that is movable in a vertical plane, the said knifeand the heating device simultaneously cutting the two sheets aparttransversely and sealing the two sheets together, the said clip devicesbeing L-shaped and with the clip devices extending downwardly throughslots formed in the table, bracket devices upon the underside of thetable for pivotally supporting the clip devices, a flat crank that isrotatable in a horizontal plane and that is supported upon the undersideof the table intermediate its width, link means at the opposite end ofthe crank that have connection with depending arms of the clips, aroller carried by the crank at one end, a cam wheel and a cam flangecarried by the wheel, the said roller being in the line of movement ofthe cam flange and whereby the crank is oscillated in one directionunder the rotative influence of the cam wheel and spring means forbiasing the cam in a direction to actuate the links to shift the clipsinto clipped engagement with the thermoplastic material.

2. A packaging device of the character described that is adapted to forma tubular envelope from a continuous section of thermoplastic materialfor receiving articles to be encased, the device comprising arectangular work table having a flat surface, a carriage device that isadapted to be moved longitudinally of the table a predetermined distancein accordance with the dimensions of the envelope to be formed and in apredetermined timed cycle, the carriage at one end rotatably supportinga roll of thermoplastic material that rests upon the surface of thetable to be rolled thereover under the influence of the carriage, thecarriage when moved in one direction extending a sheet of thermoplasticmaterial over the table to receive the article to be packaged, movableclip devices that are disposed adjacent each side of the table forclipping engagement with the opposite marginal edges of a free end ofthe thermoplastic material whereby to hold the material at the end whenthe roll is moved along the table, a rod that is deposited across thetable to overlie the extended sheet and to be disposed in front of theroll of material whereby to hold the material against shifting in anopposite direction when the carriage and the roll are returned to theinitial starting position, the carriage in its return movement shiftingthe roll of material in a reverse direction to override the articledeposited upon the sheet, the said clip devices being actuated out ofthe line of movement of the returning roller so that the overlying sheetoverlies the initial free end of the material, the said clip devicesbeing actuated to clip the two sheets together against movement, acutting device and a heat sealing device that is disposed forwardly ofthe clip devices and that is movable in a vertical plane, the said knifeand the heating device simultaneously cutting the two sheets aparttransversely and sealing the two sheets together, the said table atopposite sides at a point adjacent to the maximum forward movement ofthe roll of material being provided with a pair of bracket plates thatare notched upon their forward edges, the said rod adapted to extendacross the table and with its ends projecting beyond the brackets and tobe seated within the notches whereby the rod is held against movementand to hold the material against shift-ing when the carriage shifts theroll of material to its initial position, the said rod being removableafter the forming of the envelope and the sealing and cutting of the twosheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS137,041 Worth Mar. 18, 1873 1,343,339 Rosenblum June 15, 1920 2,690,633Denton Oct. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,994 Great Britain July 10. 1897

